# US 2017/0285901 A1 · Using drag and drop to apply metadata > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285901 A1 - Document ID: US20170285901A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/085,476 - Filed: 2016-03-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: John Lincoln DeMaris; Aditi Mandal; Benjamin N. Truelove; Victor Poznanski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285901A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0486: Drag-and-drop - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 16/164: {File meta data generation} - G06F 16/168: {Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs (query results presentation G06F16/156)} - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Techniques directed to applying metadata to content items are described herein. The techniques may include displaying a graphical element associated with a metadata attribute(s) and displaying a visual representation for a content item(s). The graphical element may be associated with a group of content items that have a common metadata attribute. In some instances, the graphical element may be dragged and dropped onto the visual representation to associate the content item(s) with the metadata attribute(s). In other instances, the visual representation may be dragged and dropped on the graphical element to associate the content item(s) with the metadata attribute(s). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computing device, comprising: one or more processing units; and memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processing units, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to: group two or more content items of a set of content items, each of the two or more content items having a common metadata attribute; display, within a content management user interface, a group graphical element associated with the two or more content items; receive first user input associated with a customization of metadata; based at least in part on the first user input, create one or more customized metadata attributes; associate each content item of the two or more content items with the one or more customized metadata attributes; display a visual representation for a particular content item; receive second user input comprising a drag and drop of the visual representation onto the group graphical element; and based at least in part on the second user input, associate the particular content item with the common metadata attribute and with the one or more customized metadata attributes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the particular content item is a first particular content item, the visual representation is associated with a grouping of both the first particular content item and a second particular content item, and the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to, based at least in part on the second user input, associate the second particular content item with the common metadata attribute and with the one or more customized metadata attributes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to, based at least in part on the second user input, display within the content management user interface a visual indicator that the particular content item has been associated with the common metadata attribute and with the one or more customized metadata attributes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more customized metadata attributes indicates a category of data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the particular content item is a first version of the particular content item, and the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: based at least in part on the second user input, cause a different computing device to associate a second version of the particular content item with the common metadata attribute and with the one or more customized metadata attributes, the second version of the particular content item being stored in memory of the different computing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the drag and drop is a first drag and drop, the particular content item is a first particular content item, and the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receive third user input comprising a second drag and a drop of the group graphical element onto a second particular content item; and based at least in part on the third user input, associate the second particular content item with the common metadata attribute and with the one or more customized metadata attributes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the drag and drop is a first drag and drop, the particular content item is a first particular content item, and the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: display, within the content management user interface, one or more metadata attributes associated with the two or more content items; receive third user input comprising: a selection of the one or more metadata attributes; and a second drag and a drop of the one or more metadata attributes onto a second particular content item; and based at least in part on the third user input, associate the second particular content item with the one or more metadata attributes. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: displaying, by a computing device, a graphical element associated with two or more metadata attributes; displaying, by the computing device, a visual representation for a content item; receiving, by the computing device, user input comprising a drag and drop of the graphical element onto the visual representation; and based at least in part on the user input, associating, by the computing device, the content item with the two or more metadata attributes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the content item is a first content item, the visual representation is associated with a grouping of both the first content item and a second content item, and wherein the method further comprises associating, based at least in part on the user input, the second content item with the two or more metadata attributes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising based at least in part on the user input, displaying a visual indicator that the content item has been associated with the two or more metadata attributes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein: the graphical element associated with the two or more metadata attributes comprises a folder icon representing a folder that includes one or more content items of a same type, each of the one or more content items having the two or more metadata attributes; and the visual representation for the content item comprises a file icon representing the content item. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the content item is a first version of the content item, the method further comprising: based at least in part on the user input, causing a different computing device to associate a second version of the content item with the two or more metadata attributes, the second version of the content item being stored in memory of the different computing device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein: the displaying the graphical element comprises displaying the graphical element within a file system directory interface, the graphical element comprising textual content indicating that a file system directory is associated with the two or more metadata attributes; and the receiving the user input comprises receiving user input that includes a drag and drop of the textual content onto the visual representation for the content item. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the user input is first user input, the drag and drop is a first drag and drop, the content item is a first content item, and wherein the method further comprises: displaying, by the computing device and within a content management user interface, one or more metadata attributes associated with the graphical element; receiving, second user input comprising: a selection of the one or more metadata attributes, and a second drag and drop of the one or more metadata attributes onto a second content item; and based at least in part on the second user input, associating the second content item with the one or more metadata attributes. ### Claim 15 A computing device, comprising: one or more processing units; and memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processing units, the memory storing instructions that based on execution by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to: display a graphical element associated with a metadata attribute; display a visual representation for a content item; receive user input comprising a drag and drop of the graphical element onto the visual representation; and based at least in part on the user input, associate the content item with the metadata attribute. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computing device of claim 15, wherein the content item is a first content item, the visual representation is associated with a grouping of both the first content item and a second content item, and wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to, based at least in part on the user input associate the second particular content item with the metadata attribute. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computing device of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to display a visual indicator that the content item has been associated with the metadata attribute. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computing device of claim 15, wherein the drag and drop is a first drag and drop, and the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receive additional user input comprising a second drag and drop of an additional metadata attribute onto the graphical element; and based at least in part on the additional user input, associate the additional metadata attribute with the graphical element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computing device of claim 18, wherein the content item is a first content item, and the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receive further user input comprising a third drag and drop of a second content item onto the graphical element; and based at least in part on the further user input, associate the second content item with the metadata attribute and the additional metadata attribute. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computing device of claim 18, wherein the content item is a first version of the content item, and the instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: based at least in part on the user input, cause a different computing device to associate a second version of the content item with the metadata attribute, the second version of the content item being stored in memory of the different computing device.